The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of silk tree botanically known as Albizia julibrissin ‘NCAJ1’ and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘NCAJ1’. This new cultivar has a pendulous habit, burgundy colored foliage and pinkish flowers.
This new Albizia julibrissin was developed through a breeding program by the inventor in Mills River, N.C. ‘NCAJ1’ is an open pollinated seedling collected from Albizia julibrissin H2005-013-004. H2005-013-004 was a controlled cross between Albizia julibrissin ‘Pendula’ (not patented) and A. julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,822) that was planted in an isolation block of similar F1 hybrids. The first asexual propagation of ‘NCAJ1’ was carried out in the fall of 2009 by root cuttings in Mills River, N.C. and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by root cuttings in North Carolina since that time. ‘NCAJ1’ has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive generations of asexual propagation